All Episodes
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In 2025, I had to migrate TheIndyAuthor.com to a new platform; I manually copied forward all the show notes from Episode 200 on, and those are available here.
I couldn’t quite justify the time required to do the same with these earlier episodes, especially because these didn’t include a lot of the material I added for later episodes—primarily summaries and transcripts. However, I find it helpful to have a full list of episodes—for example, to search for those related to a certain topic (e.g., short fiction) or featuring a certain guest—so I’ve provided a full, searchable list here.
You can find these episodes on the podcast platforms above, as well as at at The Indy Author YouTube channel.
Episode 285 - Writing Short with Art Taylor
Episode 284 - Training the Brain for Fiction Dictation with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
Episode 283 - Writing Pivots and the Power of Humility with Kevin Tumlinson
Episode 282 - Unlocking the Power of Book Reviews with Rossana Corniel
Episode 281 - Using Relevance to Save Your Darlings with Liesel Hill
Episode 280 - Insider Tips from Writing Contest Judges with Clay Stafford
Episode 279 - LinkedIn Strategies for Authors with Troy Lambert
Episode 278 - The Perks and Pitfalls of Facebook Ads with Malorie Cooper
Episode 277 - Book Promotion and How to Break through the Noise with Leah Paulos
Episode 276 - Navigating Legal Risk in Memoir with Kathryn Goldman
Episode 275 - Getting Unstuck in Book Marketing and Promotion with Michael La Ronn
Episode 274 - Elevating Your Presence with Panel Appearances with Joanne McLaughlin
Episode 273 - Showrunning Your Series Novels with Cheryl McKay
Episode 272 - The Evolving Author and Second Editions with Joanna Penn
Episode 271 - Tapping into Your Author Voice with Tiffany Yates Martin
Episode 270 - Author Assistants: Finding One or Being One with Kate Tilton
Episode 269 - The Discipline-Driven Path to Success with Dre Baldwin
Episode 268 - What Authors Should Not Learn from Movies with Rene Gutteridge
Episode 267 - Using Romance to Write Stories with Heart with Jennifer Probst
Episode 266 - Timeless Storytelling Principles with Douglas Vigliotti
Episode 265 - Connecting and Captivating with Author Readings with Gary Zenker
Episode 264 - Building Your Brand through Networking with Dale L. Roberts
Episode 263 - Collaborate and Create with Michael La Ronn
Episode 262 - Combating and Tapping into Imposter Syndrome with Diane Vallere
Episode 261 - Navigating Collaborative Storytelling with Todd Fahnestock
Episode 260 - Four Pillars of Author Success with Emma Dhesi
Episode 259 - Working Harder, Working Smarter with Diane Vallere
Episode 258 - Getting the Word Out: Media Campaigns for Authors with Marie Whittaker
Episode 257 - Book Sponsorships with Dale L. Roberts
Episode 256 - Lessons from the Nomadic Author with Nicholas Harvey
Episode 253 - Navigating the Worlds of Fiction and Film with Rene Gutteridge
Episode 252 - Strategic Website Planning for Authors with Pauline Wiles
Episode 251 - Strategic Self-Doubt and the Indie Mindset with Diane Vallere
Episode 250 - From Firearms to Fiction with Chris Grall
Episode 249 - How to Keep Non-Fiction Fresh with Anna Featherstone
Episode 248 - Constructing a Multi-Layered Villain with Greta Boris
Episode 247 - Newsletter Marketing as a Creative Endeavor with Roz Morris
Episode 246 - The Secrets of World-Building: It’s the Small Stuff with Timons Esaias
Episode 245 - Co-Authoring Fiction with LynDee Walker and Bruce Coffin
Episode 244 - Understanding Your Book's Neighborhood with Nat Connors
Episode 243 - Mistakes Writers Make about Forensic Psychology with Katherine Ramsland
Episode 242 - Uncovering Your Author Purpose with Greta Boris and Megan Haskell
Episode 241 - Mistakes Writers Make About Working K-9s and How to Avoid Them with Kathleen Donnelly
Episode 240 - The Sales Flywheel with Chelle Honiker
Episode 239 - Moving the Needle to a Different Track with Johnny B. Truant
Episode 238 - The Big Indie Author Data Drop 2024 with Melissa Addey
Episode 237 - Creating Your Own Community with Jessie Kwak
Episode 235 - The Source Code of Storytelling with Rob Hart
Episode 234 - The Pocket Guide to Pantsing with Michael La Ronn
Episode 233 - Data-Driven Publishing with Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Episode 232 - What Has Changed and Stayed the Same with Amazon Ads with Bryan Cohen
Episode 229 - How to Make Your Work Accessible with Michael Johnson
Episode 228 - Six Keys to Author Success Part 2 with Nick Thacker
Episode 227 - Six Keys to Author Success - Part 1 with Nick Thacker
Episode 226 - From Gatekeepers to Guides: The Evolving Role of Agents with David Morris
Episode 225 - Right-Timing Your Release Strategy with Kristina Adams
Episode 224 - Secrets of Maximizing In-person Sales with Todd Fahnestock
Episode 223 - The Tolling Bell & The Story Hypothesis with JP Rindfleisch
Episode 222 - Perfecting Your Story's Trajectory with Mary Carroll Moore
Episode 221 - Leveraging Your Tribe of Influence with Stephanie Chandler
Episode 219 - The Productive Power of Organization and Procrastination with John DeDakis
Episode 218 - Story Bibles and How AI Can Help with Kaylin Tristano
Episode 217 - The Many Levers of Your Author Platform with Andrea DeWerd
Episode 216 - Learning from Our Readers and Our Characters with Frank Zafiro
Episode 215 - Mistakes Writers Make about Firefighters with Thomas Dunne
Episode 214 - Your Persona is Your Brand with Jami Albright
Episode 213 - Melding Words and Animation - Exploring Storia with Todd Gallet
Episode 212 - What Writers Can Learn from The First Two Pages with Art Taylor
Episode 211 - Creating a Refuge: Creative Planning for Authors and Poets with Orna Ross
Episode 210 - Constructing a Compelling Series with Sara Rosett
Episode 209 - Natural Orders and Author Email with Matt Treacey
Episode 208 - Mistakes Writers Make about Bladed Weapons with Teel James Glenn
Episode 207 - Six Ways to Collaborate with Your Fellow Writers with Michael Bradley
Episode 206 - Embracing Your Own Kind of Online Peculiar with Sue Ellson
Episode 205 - The Pros and Cons of Writing Contests with Becky Tuch
Episode 204 - Rebranding: Is It Worth the Investment? with Michael La Ronn
Episode 203 - The Author Marketing Audit with Joe Solari
Episode 202 - Acting on Inspiration Anywhere with Kevin Tumlinson
Episode 201 - Crafting Great Scene Descriptions with Alessandra Torre
Episode 200 - How Times Have Changed (or Stayed the Same) with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
Episode 199 - How to Overcome Promophobia with Diane Vallere
Episode 198 - The Dialogue Doctor Will See You Now with Jeff Elkins
Episode 197 - Ream and the Creator Economy with Michael Evans
Episode 196 - The Transformative Power of Journaling with Merle Saferstein
Episode 195 - The Anatomy of a Bestseller with Sacha Black
Episode 194 - Tips for Attending Writers' Conferences with Jim Azevedo
Episode 193 - The Path to Short Story Publication with Michael Bracken
Episode 192 - Stretching Your Writing Muscles with Short Fiction with Richie Narvaez
Episode 191 - Running at the Creative Risk with Doug Dorst
Episode 190 - What Writers Can Learn from the Music World with Cliff Beach
Episode 189 - Using "Glimmers and Whispers" to Care for Your Writer Body with Amy Peele
Episode 188 - Moving Past Self-doubt to Promote Your Work with Shelby Leigh
Episode 187 - The Power of Print with Tara Robinett
Episode 186 - The Power of a Book Coach with Emma Dhesi
Episode 185 - AI as Metadata Assistant and Muse with Dave Chesson
Episode 184 - Planning a Novel with Greta Boris and Megan Haskell
Episode 183 - Writing from or about the LGBTQIA Community with Dharma Kelleher
Episode 182 - How to Succeed with a Super-long Series with Lisa Regan
Episode 181 - Enneagram and Your Author Career with Claire Taylor
Episode 180 - The Top 6 Lessons Novelists Can Learn from Movies with John Gaspard
Episode 179 - Is Freelance Copywriting for You? with Jessie Kwak
Episode 178 - How to be a Writer if You Hate Writing with Shane Millar
Episode 177 - From Indy to Trad to Hybrid with Leslye Penelope
Episode 176 - Two Perspectives on Choosing the Tools for Your Author Career with Michael La Ronn
Episode 175 - Lessons Learned as an Author Podcaster and YouTuber with M.K. Williams and Matty Dalrymple
Episode 174 - Choosing Your Social Media Platform with Amy Woods
Episode 173 - Don't Stake Everything on Your First Book with Daniel Willcocks
Episode 172 - A Reviewer's Perspective on Audiobooks with Robin Whitten
Episode 171 - Outside-the-Box Content: The Story behind "The Canadian Mounted" with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
Episode 170 - Creating a Winning Workbook with M.K. Williams
Episode 169 - The Do's and Don'ts of Working with Book Bloggers with Kristopher Zgorski
Episode 168 - How to Write from Trauma without Retraumatizing Yourself with Mary Adkins
Episode 167 - The Importance of Good Habits and How Accountability Groups can Help with Clarissa Gosling and Other Guests of The Indy Author
Episode 166 - Plotting with an Unreliable Narrator with Jane Cleland
Episode 165 - Strengthening Your Fiction with a Premise with Liesel Hill
Episode 164 - What Writers Can Learn from Short Fiction with Gabriela Pereira
Episode 163 - Year End: The Writing Craft And The Publishing Voyage with Jennifer Hilt & Michael La Ronn
Episode 162 - Book Marketing Lessons from Beyond the Book World with Gary Zenker
Episode 161 - Choosing Your Publishing Path with Isabella Maldonado
Episode 160 - Mistakes Writers Make about Police Roles and How to Avoid Them with Frank Zafiro
Episode 159 - Backstory: On the Mountaintop or in the Valley? with Sharon Short
Episode 158 - What Writers Can Learn from Remote Workers with Ryan Fahey
Episode 157 - Literary Citizenship with Jane Friedman
Episode 156 - Character Development Through the Pain and Promise of Life with David Corbett
Episode 155 - The Benefits (and Costs) of Membership with Roland Denzel
Episode 154 - From Screenplay to Novel and Back with Tammy Gross
Episode 153 - The Importance of a Professional Photo and Video Presence with Wade Walton
Episode 152 - The Three Stages of Story with Tiffany Yates Martin
Episode 151 - Setting Your Creative Horizons with Patricia McLinn
Episode 150 - Hands-off Merchandising for Authors with Melissa Addey
Episode 149 - Using Vulnerability to Feed your Creativity with Annmarie Kelly-Harbaugh
Episode 148 - Making the Most of In-person Events with Michael La Ronn
Episode 147 - Writing for Audio with Kelly Simmons
Episode 146 - Managing Writing with a Full-time Career with J.W. Judge
Episode 145 - Speech to Text and Back Again with John Gaspard
Episode 144 - Reaching the Right Readers through Email with Kelsey Johnson
Episode 143 - Getting into the Mind of Your Audience with Alexa Bigwarfe
Episode 142 - A New Era for Novellas with Alan Baxter
Episode 141 - The Value of Collaboration with Asa Maria Bradley
Episode 140 - Troping Your Way to a Stronger Story with Jennifer Hilt
Episode 139 - Mistakes Writers Make about Forensic Psychiatry and How to Avoid Them with Susan Hatters Friedman
Episode 138 - ROI for Authors with DeAnna Hart
Episode 137 - Using Podcasts to Support Your Book Launch with Michelle Glogovac
Episode 136 - Looking Forward in Indy Publishing with Mark Coker
Episode 135 - The Importance of Specificity with Kathy Meis
Episode 134 - How Horror is the Genre of Hope with Michaelbrent Collings
Episode 133 - Creating an AI-narrated Audiobook with Matty Dalrymple
Episode 132 - From Big Idea to Book with Jessie Kwak
Episode 131 - The Color Wheel of Characterization with Jeff Elkins
Episode 130 - Outsourcing Your Content Creation with Dale L. Roberts
Episode 129 - Moving for Creativity with Mike Kuczala
Episode 128 - Lessons from Filmmaking for the Indy Author with John Gaspard
Episode 127 - Mistakes Writers Make about P.I.s and How to Avoid Them with Patrick Hoffman
Episode 126 - Estate Planning for Authors with Michael La Ronn
Episode 125 - The Seven Most Common Mistakes of Non-Fiction Authors and How to Avoid Them with Bryan Collins
Episode 124 - The Rise of Subscription Models with Tara Cremin
Episode 123 - Building Engaging Worlds with Jacob Hess
Episode 122 - Using Data to Guide Your Craft with Nat Connors
Episode 121 - Story Structure and Character Motivation with Edwin Hill
Episode 120 - Draft2Digital Updates: Smashwords and Print with Kris Austin
Episode 119 - Metadata Is Your Brand with Kathy Meis
Episode 118 - The Martial Art of Writing with Alan Baxter
Episode 117 - Tracking Sales Data and How ScribeCount Can Help with Philippa Werner
Inbetweenisode 116 - Creating Community, Content, and Creative Energy with Jeff Elkins
Episode 115 - Exploring Kindle Vella with Jason Hamilton
Episode 114 - Making Smart Decisions about Your Distribution Strategy with Erin Wright
Episode 113 - What Authors Can Learn from Theater with L.E. DeLano
Episode 112 - Being the Captain of Your Author Voyage with Tiffany Yates Martin
Episode 111 - Using Engines, Anchors, and Hazards to Define Character Voice with Jeff Elkins
Episode 110 - Making Meaningful Connections through Powerful Language with Sharlene Anders
Episode 109 - Wide Retailers and Aggregators: NOT the Usual Suspects with M. K. Williams
Episode 108 - Writing Non-fiction from the Inside with Alexandra Amor
Episode 107 - The Seventh Process of Publishing: Selective Rights Licensing with Orna Ross
Episode 106 - The Sixth Process of Publishing: Promotion with Orna Ross
Episode 105 - The Fifth Process of Publishing: Marketing with Orna Ross
Episode 104 - The Fourth Process of Publishing: Distribution with Orna Ross
Episode 103 - The Third Process of Publishing: Production with Orna Ross
Episode 102 - The Second Process of Publishing: Design with Orna Ross
Episode 101 - The First Process of Publishing: Editorial with Orna Ross
Episode 100 - Becoming the Relaxed Author with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
Episode 099 - Connecting with Fans through Merchandising with AL Jackson
Episode 098 - Redefining Indy Success through Short Fiction with Ran Walker
Episode 097 - Taking the Long View for Publishing Success with JK Ellem
Episode 096 - Emerging Tech for the Writing Craft with Michael La Ronn
Episode 095 - Finding and Being a Ghostwriter with Rob Archangel and Mikal Keefer
Episode 094 - Debunking Writing Myths with Kristina Adams
Episode 093 - Valuing the Creative Process with Nicholas Erik
Episode 092 - Finding a Crew for Your Creative Voyage with Ricardo Fayet
Episode 091 - Creating Stellar Side Characters with Sacha Black
Episode 090 - Bringing a Creative Endeavor to an End with Michael La Ronn
Episode 089 - The Both-ness of Compelling Characters with Ben Winters
Episode 088 - How to Receive and Give Critique with Tiffany Yates Martin
Episode 087 - Looking Back and Forward at Indy Publishing with Dan Wood
Episode 086 - Matty Overhauls Her Keywords (Inbetweenisode)
Episode 085 - Optimizing Your Keywords with Dave Chesson
Episode 084 - Using Content Legally with Kelley Way
Episode 083 - The Six Rs of Maximizing the Value of Your Content with Abe Ogden
Episode 082 - Perspectives on Writer's Block
Episode 081 - Human-Centered Marketing with Dan Blank
Episode 080 - The Force of a Brand with Daniel Palmer
Episode 079 - Making the Most of Your Short Fiction with Douglas Smith
Episode 078 - Living Your Best Creative Life with Zibby Owens
Episode 077 - Behind the Scenes of My Book Launch with Matty Dalrymple
Episode 076 - BookFunnel with Damon Courtney
Episode 075 - Key Book Publishing Paths with Jane Friedman
Episode 074 - Perspectives on Personal Branding
Episode 073 - Author Websites with Pauline Wiles
Episode 072 - Mentoring and Collaborating with Interns with Robert Blake Whitehill
Episode 071 - The Provider Side of Author Services with MK Williams
Episode 070 - Copyright for Authors with Orna Ross
Episode 069 - Writing Memoir with Beth Kephart
Episode 068 - Handling Difficult Topics in YA Fiction with Emma G. Rose
Episode 067 - Mistakes Writers Make about the FBI and How to Avoid Them with Jerri Williams
Episode 066 - From Indy to Traditional with Jason Kasper
Episode 065 - X-raying Your Plot with Tiffany Yates Martin
Episode 064 - Writing and Publishing Children's Books with Keith Wheeler
Episode 063 - Wide for the Win with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
Episode 062 - Mastering Point of View with Jon McGoran
Episode 061 - Google Play with Brian Rathbone
Episode 060 - Mastering Action Sequences with Joshua Essoe
Episode 059 - Author Newsletter Swaps and StoryOrigin with Evan Gow
Episode 058 - Author Newsletters with Lee Savino
Episode 057 - The Pros and Cons of Pre-orders with Joe Lallo
Episode 056 - Crowdfunding for Authors with Joshua Essoe
Episode 055 - The Costs of Self-publishing a Book with Michael La Ronn
Episode 054 - Futurist Trends We Can Prepare for Now with Joanna Penn
Episode 053 - What Authors can Learn from TV and Movies with Tiffany Yates Martin
Episode 052 - Five Keys to Building a Resilient Indy Business with Nicholas Erik
Episode 051 - Podcasting as Content Marketing with Jerri Williams
Episode 050 - Mistakes Writers Make about First Responders and How to Avoid Them with Ken Fritz
Episode 049 - Ruminations on Book Launches with James McCrone
Episode 048 - Building Great Protagonist and Antagonist Voices with Jeff Elkins
Episode 047 - Backstory and Flashbacks with Robert Dugoni
Episode 046 - Mistakes Writers Make about Coroners and How to Avoid Them with Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
Episode 045 - Nine Things Career Authors Don't Do: Exercise with J. Thorn
Episode 044 - Using Aggregators versus Going Direct with Dale L. Roberts
Episode 043 - Twelve Sure-fire Ways to Kill the Suspense of Your Novel with Steven James
Episode 042 - The Importance of Metadata with Joshua Tallent
Episode 041 - How to Write a Convincing Villain with Jenna Moreci
Episode 040 - Storytelling Lessons from Investigative Reporting with Hank Phillippi Ryan
Episode 039 - Building a Writer Community with Connie Johnson Hambley
Episode 038 - Graphic Novels with Joshua Howell
Episode 037 - How Cozy is Cozy? with Diane Vallere
Episode 036 - Frugal Tips for Writers with Elizabeth Sims
Episode 035 - Mistakes Writers Make about Police Procedure and How to Avoid Them with Bruce Robert Coffin
Episode 034 - Connecting through Video with Dale L. Roberts
Episode 033 - Overcoming Mental and Emotional Barriers to Creativity with Rachael Herron
Episode 032 - Hybrid Publishing with Julie Mulhern
Episode 031 - ebook Pricing with Tara Cremin
Episode 030 - Common Writer Wisdom: Is it Right for You with Becca Syme
Episode 029 - Fostering Creativity through Digital Minimalism with Zach Bohannon
Episode 028 - Writing the Killer Query with Kelly Simmons
Episode 027 - Why to Stop Blogging and What to Do Instead with Pauline Wiles
Episode 026 - Weaving Your Day Job into Your Books with Todd Harra
Episode 025 - Mastering Book Descriptions with Brian Meeks
Episode 024 - Three Hard Truths with J.J. Hensley
Episode 023 - Reaching New Readers through Translations with Emma Prince
Episode 022 - SEO for Authors with Liz Jostes
Episode 021 - Building Communities in Podcasts and In Person with J. Thorn
Episode 020 - Working with Libraries & Bookstores with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
Episode 019 - Judging a Book by Its Cover with Jane Gorman
Episode 018 - The Importance of Masterworks with Anne Hawley
Episode 017 - Story a Day with Julie Duffy
Episode 016 - Drawing Back the Publishing Curtain with Lisa Regan
Episode 015 - Five Things I Wish I Knew Before I Was Published with Wendy Tyson
Episode 014 - Collaborating on "Taking the Short Tack" with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
Episode 013 - Writing in Time with Jane Kelly
Episode 012 - Mistakes Writers Make about Firearms and How to Avoid Them with Chris Grall
Episode 011 - Making the Move to Full-Time Writer with Ken Lozito
Episode 010 - Update from Matty Dalrymple, The Indy Author
Episode 009 - The Craft and Business of Short Fiction with Tony Conaway
Episode 008 - Screenwriting with Robert Blake Whitehill
Episode 007 - Faster Fiction with Alexandra Amor
Episode 006 - The Importance of Storytelling with Jim Breslin
Episode 005 - Publishing Image-Intensive Books with Andy Schön
Episode 004 - Using Media Outlets to Reach Your Audience with Bruce Mowday
Episode 003 - Small Press Publishing with Scott Pruden
Episode 002 - Creativity Tips with Wade Walton
Episode 001 - Introducing The Indy Author